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胜算 (shèng suàn) — good chance of success; probability of winning; a sure plan

Definition

胜算 is a formal noun meaning the calculated odds of winning or succeeding, usually used after 有 / 没有 / 失去. It is more written and quantitative than the casual 把握 ('a good sense you'll succeed').

noun
good chance of successprobability of winninga sure plan

Examples

  • ，胜算。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài, wǒ men de shèng suàn hěn dà.
    In this competition, our chances of success are very high.
  • 胜算。
    Dí rén yǐ jīng shī qù le shèng suàn.
    The enemy has already lost any chance of success.
  • ，胜算。
    Tā zǐ xì fēn xī le xíng shì, rèn wéi yǒu bā chéng shèng suàn.
    He carefully analyzed the situation and thought there was an 80% chance of success.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

胜shèngvictory
算suàncalculation

胜 gives the sense of victory, and 算 names a calculation or plan, so the result is a calculation that points to success.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng胜shèng
Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

Open 胜 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The current form 算 has 竹 on top, 目 in the middle, and 廾 below; the 目 part may have originally drawn counting rods, often made of bamboo.

Open 算 →
Appears in
Success & Failure

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